Message of 9-15-10
Published: Mon, 09/13/10
- resources for prayer and spiritual growth
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
Eternal Trinity, Godhead, mystery deep as the sea,
you could give me no greater gift than the gift of yourself.
Yes, you are a fire that takes away the coldness,
illuminates the mind with its light,
and causes me to know your truth.
And I know that you are beauty and wisdom itself.
- St. Catherine of Siena
(A good prayer to pray with St. Catherine. Add your own words, as
the Spirit moves you.)
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LECTIONARY READINGS FOR THE DAY
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
1 Cor 12:31-13:13; Ps 33:2-3, 4-5, 12 and 22; Jn 19:25-27 or
Lk 2:33-35
R. (12) Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.
For upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
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MEDITATION ON THE GOSPEL
- from "Daily Bread"
http://www.preacherexchange.com/daily_bread.htm
"... and you yourself a sword will pierce so that the thoughts of
many hearts may be revealed."
Mary's glorious distinction as the mother of our Lord came with
immeasurable pain. Through her humble and obedient yes, Mary
became the Christ-bearer, but she likewise carried the ache of
watching Jesus endure mockery, scorn and crucifixion. From Simeon's
bittersweet blessing to the agony at the foot of the cross, Mary
knew deep, human suffering. She could not fully know how he would
triumph. She simply trusted that he would. No wonder, in our
moments of deepest despair, we ask Mary to intercede on our behalf
to her beloved Son.
"Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us."
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SPIRITUAL READING
At the Master's Feet
- by Sadhu Sundar Singh
(The Disciple: "Master, in these days some learned men and their
followers regard Thy atonement and the redemption by blood as
meaningless and futile, and say that Christ was only a great
teacher and example for our spiritual life, and that salvation and
eternal happiness depend on our own efforts and good deeds.")
5. The forgiveness of sins does not mean full salvation, for that
can only come with perfect freedom from sin. For it is possible
that one should die from the disease of sin, though one has
received full pardon for it. For instance, a man had his brain
affected owing to an illness of long standing, and whilst thus
affected he made an attack upon another man and killed him. When
sentence of death was pronounced upon him, his relatives explained
the circumstances and appealed for mercy for him, and he was
granted pardon for the sin of murder. But before his friends could
reach him with the good news, indeed while they were on the way, he
had died of the sickness by reason of which he had committed the
murder.
What advantage was this pardon to the murderer? His real safety
would have been to be cured of his disease, and then he would have
had real happiness in his pardon. For this reason I became manifest
in the flesh that I might deliver penitent believers from the
disease of sin, from its punishment and from death; thus taking
away both cause and effect. They will not die in their sins, for I
will save them (Matt. i.21), and they shall pass from death to
becomes heirs of eternal life.
- Part 2, Section 2
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METHODS OF PRAYER AND REFLECTION
Listed below are several traditional methods of prayer and
reflection. As St. Frances de Sales noted, we learn to pray by
praying, but it is also good to try different methods to see which
seem to help facilitate connection with God. Indeed, the more we
learn different methods, the better we can sense how the Spirit is
moving us to pray for any given prayer time.
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Lectio Divina Process
- http://heartlandspirituality.org/vocations/prayer.html
First, you choose a passage of Scripture that you will pray with.
It might be the Gospel reading used in the liturgy of the day, or
anything else you want. The process then follows these steps:
* Reading (lectio) After settling in and quieting yourself,
read the passage slowly, prayerfully. Just let it sink in for a
minute or two, then read it a second time, paying closer attention
to the words or phrases that speak to you.
* Reflecting (meditatio) What do you hear God saying to you in
this passage? What words or phrases caught your attention?
* Responding (oratio) What do you want to say to God in
response to what you've heard? Here you can also voice your prayers
of petition, remorse, thanksgiving, praise, and so forth. If you
sense God speaking to you in your thoughts, feelings or
imagination, you respond as you would in any conversation.
* Resting (contemplatio) If, at any time, you feel drawn to
simply rest in the awareness of God's loving presence, you let
yourself do so. Remain in loving silence as long as you feel
comfortable, perhaps using a simple word or phrase from the
Scripture passage to help deepen your openness to rest in God (see
Centering Prayer method, below)
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Centering Prayer
(Works best after a period of Lectio Divina, as described above;
two 20 minute periods a day are recommended.)
This term, centering prayer, is of recent origin, but the method is
described in many places, most notably "The Cloud of Unknowing."
1. Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent
to God's presence and action within. (This can be any word.)
2. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly, and
silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to
God's presence and action within.
3. When you become aware of thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the
sacred word.
4. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes
closed for a couple of minutes.
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Hesychast Prayer ("quiet" prayer)
(This form of contemplative practice was widely used by the
fathers and mothers of the desert in the early days of Christianity
and is still very popular in Eastern Christian churches. At least
two 20 minute prayer periods are recommended.)
1. Sit quietly, with back straight and hands resting in the lap,
palms up.
2. Lovingly introduce into your mind the prayer, "Lord Jesus
Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me." (Note: this may be shortened
as the prayer proceeds).
3. Let this prayer move in synchrony with your breath, praying the
first part with your inhalation, the second with exhalation.
4. When distracting thoughts attempt to break in, persist with the
Jesus Prayer. Allow yourself to feel your emotions, however.
Practice of this prayer may lead to feelings of warmth in the heart
and perception of inner light. Enjoy. . .
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Praying With Scripture (Benedictine Approach)
1. Relax. Settle in. Be aware that God is here, now, loving you.
2. Read a short passage of Scripture as though God were speaking
directly to you in it.
3. Choose a phrase from the passage that strikes you and repeat it
slowly, prayerfully, non-analytically.
4. When your heart is full, express to God the needs and sentiments
awakened by your meditation. When you're done, read another passage
and repeat steps 3 and 4.
5. If, at any time, you feel moved to simply be present to God in
loving silence, put the Scripture aside and rest in God.
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Review of the Day
- from, "Handbook for Spiritual Directees"
http://shalomplace.com/view/hndbk-lite.pdf
Here is a practice used by many at the end of the day to see what
lessons can be learned and how God was present and active through
the day. Set aside fifteen to twenty minutes at the end of the
day for prayer and review of your day. A suggested format is
described below:.
1. Take a few moments of quiet. Breathe deeply. Ask God to help you
see yourself as you truly were during the day.
2. Look back over your day - not to see what you did wrong but to
honestly acknowledge what was going on with you and others.
* What happened? What did I do today?
* How did I feel? Why did I feel that way?
* Were my expectations and beliefs reasonable?
3. Affirm the healthy things you recognize.
4. Admit to yourself and God the unhealthy things. Ask God's
forgiveness, believe it is yours, then decide if you need to
apologize or make amends.
5. Use creative visualization to grow stronger. Honestly
acknowledge the troubling situations of the day. See and feel
yourself acting honestly and lovingly in these situations. Ask God
for the grace to help you act in this new way.
6. Close with simple awareness of the sights and sounds around you,
grateful for the good things in your life.
This process can be undertaken as a daily journal exercise or by
prayerfully reviewing your day in your own mind. I like to take a
walk before bedtime for examen. The important thing is to do it. It
is a discipline, to be sure, but a very important one.
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A collection of additional spiritual exercises can be found in our
Handbook for Spiritual Directees.
- see http://shalomplace.com/view/hndbk-lite.pdf
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